Health at Work

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:16:39 +0000

Isn't always easy to staying healthy at work , With all your coworkers sneezing and sniffing around you, it may seem impossible. Find how to stay healthy at work with these health tips:

1. Wash Your Hands. Often.
This means every time you use the restroom, before you eat, after you sneeze or cough and any other time your hands feel dirty. Also, keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk, for when you can't get to a sink.

2. Keep your workspace clean.
Clean your phone, computer keyboard and anything else that you use frequently. Even if you are the only user, germs can live on these objects and you can reinfect yourself.
3. Eat balanced meals every day – including breakfast!
Many people are tempted to skip breakfast because it takes too long to eat in the morning or in an (misguided) effort to lose weight. It has been proven that people who eat breakfast are healthier and more likely to remain at a healthy weight.
4. Avoid coworkers who are sick.
You would hope that coworkers who are contagious would stay home from work. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case. If they do show up, try to avoid direct contact with them (without being rude, of course).
5. Drink AT LEAST 8 glasses of water a day.
Sodas and coffee may help you stay awake, but they will also contribute to dehydration. So you need to be sure to drink water also. Just keep a water bottle with you all the time, drink throughout the day and you will probably get what you need.
6. Take frequent breaks throughout the day.
When you are feeling tired or sore, get up and walk around for a few minutes. Or try some of these tips for stretching at your desk. Taking breaks and keeping your body in shape will help you feel better and make you more productive.
7. Use your vacation days.
It may feel like there is never a good time to be away from the office, but people who do not take vacations are more likely to be sick. Vacations are a good way to relieve stress, which has been proven to contribute to illness. So even if it is just a few long weekends, use your vacation days and don’t take your work with you.
8. Quit smoking.
It is pretty common knowledge these days that smoking is bad for your health. Smokers get sick much more frequently than non-smokers. You are also getting less work done if you have to take frequent smoke breaks throughout the day. And no, smoke breaks do not promote productivity like exercise breaks do. Nicotine is a stimulant and actually increases your body’s stress level.
Share Your Thoughts
If you take these tips into consideration and implement them into your daily work routine, you should notice that you feel better and will remain healthier. With so many illnesses going around this time of year, you should do everything you can do avoid getting sick. If you have any more tips on staying healthy in the workplace, don’t keep them to yourself, share them in the Prevention Forum!

Stretches at Your Desk

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:45:10 +0000

Sit at a desk for long periods of time can cause muscular tension. You can prevent the buildup of stress in your muscles by taking a few minutes to stretch. Try these easy exercises when you need to re-energize, or throughout the day to keep your muscles relaxed:

Head Tilt. Put your right hand on your left shoulder. Tilt your ear right toward your right shoulder, but don't turn your head. Hold five seconds. Switch sides.

Neck Roll. Roll your head to the right, down to the front, then left. Do this slowly and smoothly, both directions.

Shoulder Circles. Make circles with your shouldersup, back, and down. Switch directions. Do at least five.

Side Stretch. Stretch your arms to the side, then clasp your hands overhead. Keep your head straight forward, but lean your upper body to the right side. You should feel this down your left side. Hold five seconds. Switch sides.
Back Release. Sit at the edge of your chair as tall as you can (be careful if it has wheels). Open your legs apart so your arms drop between them. Straighten your legs, so your heels are on the floor, but not your toes. Knees are relaxed and never locked. Bring chin to chest, and then roll down toward your feet, one vertebra at a time. You should feel this first in your neck, then upper back, middle back, and lower back. This should be done slowly, relaxing into each part of the back. Roll up just as slowly. This

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Health at Work

Stretches at Your Desk